FARMINGTON, IL (WMBD/CNN) - For a time, thousands of people in Illinois worked together to try and find what was reported to be a missing 1-year-old boy, but police now say the entire story was fabricated.

Just before 8 p.m. Saturday, an Amber Alert was sent out for 1-year-old Bentley Dutz, who had allegedly been in the backseat when three suspects stole a car outside a Farmington, IL, gas station.

But two hours later, Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell confirmed the entire Amber Alert was fabricated. No child was abducted or in danger, and no car had been stolen.

According to police, during the investigatory process, they were able to determine the reported victim, Mitchell Dutz, had made up the story.